Mug with removable spiked bottom panel

ABSTRACT

The invention disclosed herein identifies a novel mug with a removable spiked bottom ring for drinking beverages as well as for self-defense or other emergency uses. Such a mug would be of benefit because generally mugs are generally carried all around and therefore would be a good self-defense or survival instrument if needed.

ROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C Section 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/890,268, filed on Feb. 16, 2007, by John Cheslock, entitled “MUG WITH REMOVABLE SPIKED BOTTOM PANEL,” which application is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention to The present invention relates generally to beverage containers and is particularly directed to drinking mugs with removable spiked bottom rings for drinking beverages as well as for self-defense.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional mugs are usually sturdily built type of ceramic drinking cups often used for hot beverages, such as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Mugs can also be made of porcelain (china), Pyrex and some (usually intended for campers) are made of plastic, steel, or enameled metal or ceramic. Mugs typically have a flat bottom or a bottom that is slightly concave or convex for proper placement on a substantially flat surface such as a cup holder in an automobile for example. Some mugs have a circular protrusion that spans the circumference of the bottom of the mug.

Conventional mugs typically also have a handle for the user to grip. Mugs can have removable lids, for example so the user can pour the beverage of choice into the mug and close the lid so that the beverage would not spill perhaps while driving. The removable lid can have a finger grip on it such as a protrusion from the lid to lift the lid up. The lid can have an opening so that the user can drink out of the mug while still keeping the lid on in order to maintain the heat of the beverage for example as well as to allow the user to drive as well as drink the beverage for example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes a mug with a removable spiked bottom ring or bottom ring with pointed and/or raised protrusions in which the mug lid, body, handle, and removable base are made of Lexan and/or other high strength polymer material and/or any other high strength material, including such materials as metal or alloys. The removable spiked bottom ring has mug engagement members such as threads for engaging the base engagement members such as threads on the mug. The mug can be used for drinking beverages as well as for other uses as will become more apparent. The ring can be screwed on for example to break open a window after an automobile accident or for self-defense. Typically, the ring is constructed out of Lexan, and/or any other high-strength material that can withstand high impact. Due to the strength of the material, as well as the spikes on the mug, the user can hold the mug with the handle for example to provide a defensive impact to an attacker. The user may also utilize the mug, due to the high strength of the mug's material, as a defensive device to block attacks from an attacker. The present invention may also incorporate a diamond plate or raised pattern on the exterior of the mug for ease in gripping the mug, as well as an additional striking area. Since mugs are usually used in an automobile to drink coffee for example while driving, in the unfortunate case of a car accident, the strong mug of the instant invention can be used to break open the window.

An embodiment of the present invention comprises a base, a container adapted to receive the base, a base engagement member disposed on the container, and a container engagement member disposed on the base, the container engagement member adapted to engage the base engagement member, wherein the base comprises at least one spiked projection disposed thereon and the at least one spiked projection point away from the beverage container when the base is engaged with the container.

Such a container further optionally comprises the container engagement member comprising a thread and the base engagement member comprising a thread, the base engagement member being disposed on an outside surface of the beverage container, the beverage container being constructed from polycarbonate plastic, a lid with a ledge catch on a side of the lid, the lid being secured to the beverage container by means of a hinge, a lever coupled to the beverage container, wherein the lever secures the lid to the beverage container by means of a wire, metal projection or polymer projection coupled to the lever and coupled to the lid, more than one spiked projection, wherein the spiked projection spans a circumference of the base, a void being present between the base and container, the void being of sufficient size to allow for storage, the base comprising a raised pattern, and the raised pattern comprising at least one raised projection.

Other features and advantages are inherent in the system disclosed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:

FIG. 1 illustrates a mug with a removable base of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a back view of a mug of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a view of a mug of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates another view of a mug of the present invention wherein entire mug is molded from lexan and/or other high-strength polymer material and/or metal or an alloy with double or single-wall construction. The mug may also contain a stainless steel and/or alloy liner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and which is shown, by way of illustration, several embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention, mug 100 is constructed out of polycarbonate plastic (typically known as LEXAN®). Mug 100 can also be constructed with any other high strength polymer materials or a combination of polycarbonate plastic and another high strength polymer material, or any type of metal or alloy, or any combination of materials that results in a high strength material. The body of mug 100 is typically of double-wall construction (insulated), however, in some embodiments, other types of construction, such as a single wall construction, can be used. The mug may also utilize a stainless steel and/or alloy liner.

Mug 100 includes removable base 115 with tooth projections 120 that are molded into base 115. Threads 125 are molded directly into base 115 and threads 130 are molded directly onto mug 100 on an outside 111 of mug 100. Base 115 can be threaded on and off, or screwed on and off. In other embodiments, base 115 can be removably attached to mug 100 via other engagement means such as, for example, detents and detent openings, bayonet mounting, press-fit, or other mechanical attaching methods that will securely hold base 115 to mug 100. Further, base 115 can optionally be molded as part of mug 100 if desired.

Base 115 can also have a cover, typically of a different material, that will only expose tooth projections 120 when enough force is placed on the bottom of mug 100 to deform or otherwise puncture the cover. So, for example, and not by way of limitation, a soft plastic or malleable rubber can be molded into base 115 to provide a substantially flat surface on the bottom of base 115, but, when force is applied, the rubber would detent, while the tooth projections 120 would remain rigid, providing points of contact with the surface struck by base 115.

Mug 100 also comprises handle 135 which is molded into the body of mug 100 and which is generally constructed of similar material to mug 100. Handle 135 can also be constructed of another high strength polymer material. Mug 100 can also comprise a second handle (not shown).

The mug 100 comprises a lid 170 that is shown in a slightly open position in FIG. 1. Lid 170 utilizes a friction fit slide closure (not shown) with a detent (not shown) providing the friction fit. In the open position, the slide exposes a small opening (not shown) to provide fluid to the user.

The lever 150 can be used to open and close the lid 170. When the lever 150 is pushed down for example, the lid 170 closes. When the lever 150 is pulled up for example, the lid 170 opens. The lever 150 is coupled to the mug 100 by a hinge pin 155 that is typically a stainless steel rod, but can be made of other materials and can also be a different type of hinge if desired.

The lid 170 has a ledge-catch 165 molded directly into mug lid 170. However, the ledge catch 165 does not need to be directly molded into mug lid 170. The purpose of the ledge catch 165 is to secure the lid 170 into the down position when the lever 150 is latched onto the ledge catch 165 on the lid 170. The wire loop 160 can be made of stainless steel or other appropriate materials and is used to engage the ledge catch 165 of the lid 170.

The lid 170 seals against a top of the body of mug 100 by means of a flat, and/or round food-grade silicone seal 145. The lid 170 uses a hinge 140 that is a stainless steel rod near the top of the handle 135 as a pivot when lid 170 is opened and closed for example. The hinge 140 can also be constructed from other materials such as steel, metal, or high strength plastic, and could be threaded along its length for example.

Raised pattern 175 provides additional gripping surfaces for mug 100, and, if desired, provides an additional surface for striking mug 100 against an intruder or surface. Raised pattern 175 can be molded into mug 100, or be attached as a separate piece to mug 100, and can take a variety of patters depending on the desired use for raised pattern 175. For example, and not by way of limitation, raised pattern can be made from a soft rubber if the only desired function of raised pattern 175 is for gripping purposes. However, as with base 115, raised pattern can also be made from a high-impact plastic, with or without a soft rubber cover, to provide an additional defensive surface to be used against an attacker or to break a window in case of emergency.

Referring now to FIG. 2, mug 200 includes stainless or alloy pin hinges 205 and 210. Mug 200 can comprise a slight recess 215 on the body of mug 200 to aid in lifting the handle 220. Alternatively, more than one recess can be provided on mug 200. Further, cache 225 can be provided between the bottom of recess 215, or between toe bottom of the inside of mug 100 and the base 115, to be able to hide items from plain view. For example, a house or car key, money, or other small items can be stored in cache 225, to prevent these items from being seen by a would-be burglar or thief who would not normally steal a mug 100 because of the perceived lack of value of mug 100.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an embodiment of mug 100 comprises lid 340 with a shelf 320 that is molded into lid 340. Thick stainless steel wire 310 can catch on shelf 320 of lid 340 to close lid 340 for example. Force of lever 315 creates compression seal. Indent 325 molded into mug 300 allows fingers to access under lever 315 to lift lever 315.

Referring now to FIG. 4, embodiments of the mug 400 comprise lid 405, hinge 410, and handle 415. Mug 400 also comprises hinge point 420 and wire 425. Wire 425 is used to provide pressure on hinge point 420 of lid 405 to close and open lid 405.

Advantages of the Present Invention

The present invention provides a coffee mug that also acts as a self-defense weapon or striking device which may be useful for people in certain situations. For example, if a person is being attacked, the base 115, with tooth projections 120, and/or raised pattern 175 on the outer surface area of mug 100, mug 100 can be used as a self-defense weapon, either by striking base 115 or raised pattern 175 against an attacker to cause injury to the attacker, allowing the user of mug 100 to escape or disarm the attacker. Further, if the person is stuck in an automobile, the tooth projections 120 or raised pattern 175 can act as a point of contact which can break a window in an automobile to allow the person to escape.

With an appropriate cover, the base 115 and tooth projections 120 can be hidden from view of would be assailants. For example, the hard polycarbonate plastic and/or metal teeth can be embedded or covered with a soft rubber material, which is attached to base 115 via a variety of methods, and, when the tooth projections strike something hard, such as human skin or a pane of glass, the rubber cover would deform, leaving only the sharp points of the tooth projections 120. As such, the mug 100 is a clandestine self-defense weapon in that it appears relatively harmless to the casual observer.

The base 115 can also be removed from the mug if desired, or other types of bases 115 with different profiles and/or accessories such as a light can be added depending on the desires of the user. For example, a larger or smaller number of tooth projections 120 can be molded into a variety of bases 115, and users can select the base 115 that best suits their needs. Further, the base 115 and mug 100 body may leave a small opening, or cache 225, between base 115 and mug 100, which may provide a small cache for items such as emergency keys, emergency cash, etc.

Conclusion

In summary, the present invention describes a beverage container, which comprises a base, a container adapted to receive the base, a base engagement member disposed on the container, and a container engagement member disposed on the base, the container engagement member adapted to engage the base engagement member, wherein the base comprises at least one spiked projection disposed thereon and the at least one spiked projection point away from the beverage container when the base is engaged with the container.

Such a container further optionally comprises the container engagement member comprising a thread and the base engagement member comprising a thread, the base engagement member being disposed on an outside surface of the beverage container, the beverage container being constructed from polycarbonate plastic, a lid with a ledge catch on a side of the lid, the lid being secured to the beverage container by means of a hinge, a lever coupled to the beverage container, wherein the lever secures the lid to the beverage container by means of a wire, metal projection or polymer projection coupled to the lever and coupled to the lid, more than one spiked projection, wherein the spiked projection spans a circumference of the base, a void being present between the base and container, the void being of sufficient size to allow for storage, the base comprising a raised pattern, and the raised pattern comprising at least one raised projection.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but by the claims appended hereto and the full range of equivalents to the claims appended hereto. 

1. A beverage container comprising: (a) abase; (b) a container adapted to receive the base; (c) a base engagement member disposed on the container; and (d) a container engagement member disposed on the base, the container engagement member adapted to engage the base engagement member, wherein the base comprises at least one spiked projection disposed thereon and the at least one spiked projection point away from the beverage container when the base is engaged with the container.
 2. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the container engagement member comprises a thread and the base engagement member comprises a thread.
 3. The beverage container of claim 2, wherein the base engagement member is disposed on an outside surface of the beverage container.
 4. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the beverage container is constructed from polycarbonate plastic.
 5. The beverage container of claim 3, further comprising a lid with a ledge catch on a side of the lid, wherein the lid is secured to the beverage container by means of a hinge.
 6. The beverage container of claim 5, further comprising a lever coupled to the beverage container, wherein the lever secures the lid to the beverage container by means of a wire, metal projection or polymer projection coupled to the lever and coupled to the lid.
 7. The beverage container of claim 6, further comprising more than one spiked projection, wherein the spiked projection spans a circumference of the base.
 8. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein a void is present between the base and container, the void being of sufficient size to allow for storage.
 9. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a raised pattern.
 10. The beverage container of claim 9, wherein the raised pattern comprises at least one raised projection. 